She characterized the messages that were erased as personal
correspondence and said she had "no reason to save them."

"In going through the emails, there were over 60,000 in total,
sent and received. About half were work-related and went to State
Department, and about half were personal that were not in any way
related to my work," Clinton said. "I had no reason to save them,
but that was my decision because federal guidelines are clear ...
For any government employee it is that government employees
responsibility to determine what's personal and what's work
related."

Clinton said she "chose not to keep" the messages and said she
expected people would understand her need for "privacy."

"We went through a thorough process to identify all of my
work-related emails and deliver them to the State Department,"
she said. "At the end, I chose not to keep my private, personal
emails. Emails about planning Chelsea's wedding or my mother's
funeral arrangements. Condolence notes to friends, as well as
yoga routines, family vacations: the other things you typically
find in inboxes.

"No one wants their personal emails made public," she added, "and
I think most people understand that and respect that privacy."

Clinton
during Tuesday's news conference at the United
Nations.Thomson
Reuters

Even if all the emails that were erased were indeed personal, the
deletion of those messages could have implications for potential
investigations into Clinton's communications.

The former secretary of state and her team have said her use of
personal email for official business went above and beyond
regulatory requirements. At the news conference Tuesday, Clinton
said she and her team engaged in a "thorough process" to identify
all work-related emails and turn them over to the State
Department.

In spite of these defenses, many Republicans have said they still
have questions about Clinton's emails, and
some have called for her allow an independent arbiter to
examine her server. Clinton on Tuesday rejected the idea of an
independent investigation. And the fact her personal emails were
deleted would seem to eliminate the possibility an independent
arbiter could even determine whether she gave the State
Department all work-related correspondence.

Clinton's decision to delete her email also could affect the
House of Representatives committee dedicated to investigating the
2012 terrorist attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi,
Libya. Republicans have been critical of Clinton's handling of
the attack, and the committee has long sought to obtain her
emails.

Last Wednesday,
the committee issued a subpoena for Clinton's emails. In a
statement about the subpoena, the committee's spokesman also
announced that it "issued preservation letters to internet firms
informing them of their legal obligation to protect all relevant
documents." However, Clinton's decision to delete her emails may
have affected what was preserved and could prevent the committee
from issuing further subpoenas.

A committee representative did not immediately respond to a
request from Business Insider asking whether there was concern
about the deleted emails.

Clinton took questions
during Tuesday's news conference at the UN.REUTERS/Mike Segar

In addition to closing off these potential investigations,
Clinton's decision to delete her emails would also seem to
eliminate the chance she could ever make these messages
accessible to historians and archivists as many other major
figures have.

Clinton hasn't really made her rationale for deleting the
personal emails clear beyond saying she "chose" to do so and had
"no reason to save them." Her team did not respond to multiple
requests from Business Insider asking for clarification on why
she deleted the messages. However,
a written statement Clinton's office distributed after the news
conference seemed to attribute the decision to a desire to
"ensure the continued privacy" of the messages.

"Government officials are granted the privacy of their personal,
non-work-related emails, including personal emails on .gov
accounts. Secretary Clinton exercised her privilege to ensure the
continued privacy of her personal, non-work-related emails," the
statement said.

Indeed, it seems that even though her communications have
attracted the attention of investigators, her mass deletion will
ensure they remain private forever.